English word origin

Etymology of kiwi

Etymology tree Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *kiuk Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *kiuk Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *kiuk Proto-Oceanic *kiuk Proto-Polynesian *kiu Māori kiwibor. English kiwi Borrowed from Māori k

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗

adj

Alternative letter-case form of Kiwi (“of or from New Zealand”)

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "mi:kiwi",
        "id": "fruit",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Malayo-Polynesian *kiuk\nProto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *kiuk\nProto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *kiuk\nProto-Oceanic *kiuk\nProto-Polynesian *kiu\nMāori kiwibor.\nEnglish kiwi\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Malayo-Polynesian\", \"term\" : \"*kiuk\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"poz-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian\", \"term\" : \"*kiuk\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"poz-cet-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian\", \"term\" : \"*kiuk\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"pqe-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Oceanic\", \"term\" : \"*kiuk\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"poz-oce-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Polynesian\", \"term\" : \"*kiu\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"poz-pol-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Māori\", \"term\" : \"kiwi\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"mi\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"kiwi\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"fruit\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"kiwi\" id=\"English:_fruit\">\nBorrowed from Māori kiwi."
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "mi:kiwi",
        "id": "fruit",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Malayo-Polynesian *kiuk\nProto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *kiuk\nProto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *kiuk\nProto-Oceanic *kiuk\nProto-Polynesian *kiu\nMāori kiwibor.\nEnglish kiwi\nBorrowed from Māori kiwi."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*kiuk",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Malayo-Polynesian/kiuk"
    ],
    [
      "*kiuk",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian/kiuk"
    ],
    [
      "*kiuk",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian/kiuk"
    ],
    [
      "*kiuk",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Oceanic/kiuk"
    ],
    [
      "*kiu",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Polynesian/kiu"
    ],
    [
      "kiwi",
      "kiwi#Māori"
    ],
    [
      "kiwi",
      "kiwi#Māori"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "adj",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative letter-case form of Kiwi (“of or from New Zealand”)"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "informal"
      ],
      "recordId": "64087b147829619572476c9b735bdd9be8510b143ecbb0618dacb4647671f766",
      "rawRecordSha256": "9ea50b9fea91f4e67b2ae7eb0814619eb2835bc39e14a607386389354793542a",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 16911
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 1 · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗

noun

A flightless bird of the order Apterygiformes native to New Zealand. · Alternative letter-case form of Kiwi (“a person from New Zealand”). · A New Zealand dollar. · A kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

This page abbreviates 3 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "mi:kiwi",
        "id": "fruit",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Malayo-Polynesian *kiuk\nProto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *kiuk\nProto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *kiuk\nProto-Oceanic *kiuk\nProto-Polynesian *kiu\nMāori kiwibor.\nEnglish kiwi\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Malayo-Polynesian\", \"term\" : \"*kiuk\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"poz-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian\", \"term\" : \"*kiuk\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"poz-cet-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian\", \"term\" : \"*kiuk\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"pqe-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Oceanic\", \"term\" : \"*kiuk\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"poz-oce-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Polynesian\", \"term\" : \"*kiu\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"poz-pol-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Māori\", \"term\" : \"kiwi\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"mi\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"kiwi\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"fruit\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"kiwi\" id=\"English:_fruit\">\nBorrowed from Māori kiwi."
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "mi:kiwi",
        "id": "fruit",
        "tree": "1",
        "text": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Malayo-Polynesian *kiuk\nProto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *kiuk\nProto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *kiuk\nProto-Oceanic *kiuk\nProto-Polynesian *kiu\nMāori kiwibor.\nEnglish kiwi\nBorrowed from Māori kiwi."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*kiuk",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Malayo-Polynesian/kiuk"
    ],
    [
      "*kiuk",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian/kiuk"
    ],
    [
      "*kiuk",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian/kiuk"
    ],
    [
      "*kiuk",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Oceanic/kiuk"
    ],
    [
      "*kiu",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Polynesian/kiu"
    ],
    [
      "kiwi",
      "kiwi#Māori"
    ],
    [
      "kiwi",
      "kiwi#Māori"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "lang_code": "ca",
      "word": "kiwi",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "lang_code": "nl",
      "word": "kiwi",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "word": "kiwi",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "word": "Kiwi",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Greek",
      "lang_code": "el",
      "word": "κίουι",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "kíoui"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Greek",
      "lang_code": "el",
      "word": "κίβι",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "kívi"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Korean",
      "lang_code": "ko",
      "word": "키위",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "kiwi"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "word": "kiwi",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "word": "quivi",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "word": "quiuí",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "word": "kiwi",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed",
        "unadapted"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "lang_code": "cy",
      "word": "ciwi",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A flightless bird of the order Apterygiformes native to New Zealand.",
        "Alternative letter-case form of Kiwi (“a person from New Zealand”).",
        "A New Zealand dollar.",
        "A kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable",
        "alt-of",
        "informal"
      ],
      "recordId": "c2e8af16f901b13806f58fe3fa3e9078f968612058da3e2557bbf085b4469e4e",
      "rawRecordSha256": "d0ce64f212d1b309edc683face3eb8ab5c294cd671563f1fc91bbd5b68685f09",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 16910
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 3,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Any kind of black shoe polish.

verb

To polish (boots) with black shoe polish.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Genericized trademark from the brand of shoe polish originating in Australia, from Māori kiwi.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mentionkiwimi

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "+ (shoe polish)"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "id": "shoe polish"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "gentrade",
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Genericized trademark"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "mi",
        "3": "kiwi"
      },
      "expansion": "Māori kiwi"
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "id": "shoe polish"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "kiwi",
      "kiwi#Māori"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Any kind of black shoe polish."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Singapore",
        "slang",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "65e37a5e9bc1d553806db08b8fc95846c46b15e0a80f291b02b7bc50accc0ec8",
      "rawRecordSha256": "54151c7c01a594bc5ebc3e3a88475fd7282c34152c6760c870226203cee3d6fd",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 16912
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To polish (boots) with black shoe polish."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Singapore",
        "slang"
      ],
      "recordId": "9d64cb6b6271d37e847f942404a441770781005da8a523a85260ffa7de3e788a",
      "rawRecordSha256": "199947769bcff954dd272058cf620ebe73d4577431c055a355ca6a10dba96940",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 16913
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for kiwi →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-a2l3aQ